Our First Fishing Trip to the Kenai River….

Day: 21

Date: 08/10/11

Weather: 65 degrees & Sunny

After not being able to get to the water for the first couple of days, we finally headed out around 8:30am this morning.  Robin, Cameron, Cole and I arrived at the parking area and proceeded to get our waders and boots on and gather up our gear.  After we all got dressed, we headed on a 1 mile walk down to the river.  The boys had their "bear cans" which I had made the night before to help keep the bears away, which they shook to make noise as we all walked down the trail.  We arrived at the river and to our surprise, were the only ones there.  I rigged up our rods and got everyone ready to begin.  We hit the water and started fishing the current.  This was something new I had never done and so it took a while to figure it out.  We fished for an hour or so with no luck until I heard Cole scream, "I've got a fish!".  Sure enough, I looked back up the river and Cole had landed an 8" trout all by himself.  Unfortunately, he dropped it back in the water "so it could live" and it flopped off and back into the river before we could snap a picture.  We fished a while longer when our friends the Gilberts showed up to fish with us.  We fished together for a few minutes and then decided to walk back out to the truck to have lunch.  While we were there eating, a Park Ranger pulled up, said hello and headed toward the river.  In a couple of minutes we headed back to the river where we found Mr. Gilbert chatting with the ranger and Ms. Gilbert showing off the big Red Salmon she had just landed.  We began fishing once again and with a few minutes I hooked up on my first fish of the day.  As most fish tales go, this was a monster of a fish which I fought with for several minutes until finally my line snapped.  Needless to say I was a little disheartened, but thats why they call it fishing and not catching.  I re-rigged the rod and reel and went back to fishing for a few.  After that I gave the rod to Robin and she began fishing.  After several casts she commented that "I can't tell the difference between a rock and a fish" and then literally within 2 seconds she started screaming, "I've got a fish, I've got a fish"!  Sure enough, she she did have a big fish on and ended up landing a nice Silver Salmon, her first Alaskan fish.  Needless to say she was a little excited and of course many photos were taken.  We continued fishing for a while but unfortunately those were the only two fish landed for the day.  We hiked back to the truck and stopped out of our fishing gear before heading home.  Once we were there we cleaned up everything and put it away.  Once this was done, the ladies started preparing supper and Mr. Gilbert and myself filleted the fish from the day.  He filleted the first one and I attempted to filet the second one.  This was my first attempt at filleting an Alaskan Salmon and it turned out better than I expected.  After they were filleted, we cleaned up and then fired up the grill to cook the catches of the day.  Of course, supper was awesome… mashed potatoes, corn, fresh grilled salmon and rolls!  

We are so blessed… It was a great day to be in AK today!  My first trip to the Kenai River was a memorable one as I lost a very large fish and my wife was able to catch a very large fish.  It was good to see her and the boys get into it and I hope that excitement and enthusiasm continues. We took lots of pics and vides which you can see by clicking on the links below.

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Kenai%20River%20August%2010%202011/

Videos:

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Gearing Up!

Day: 20

Date: 08/09/11

Weather: 65 degrees & Sunny

This morning we got up around 8:00am an continued working on things around the house.  Once the sun got up, we decided we would go into town for a few things and then maybe try to do some fishing that evening.  We had waders for everyone but Cole, so we decided to stop and a locate fishing store in town.  While we were there I found a nice Fly rod and reel which I purchased along with with several other salmon lures.  Unfortunately, they did not have waders to fit Cole here so we continued on to Fred Myers (AK version of Kroger with clothing and electronics).  We were able to find a set of waders but were having a hard time finding a set of boots.  We stopped by there discount shoes to see if we can find a cheap pair of shoes he could use instead of boots.  While we were there we began talking to another lady who wanted to know what we were looking for.  Once we explained to here that we were trying to find a pair of shoes for waders, she asked what size we needed and then told us that she thought she had waders we would need for Cole.  We exchanged information, chatted a little longer and went on our way.  In an hour or so, she called Robin and let her know that she did have a pair of waders and that we could come over and take a look.  

We loaded up in the truck and headed that way.  When we arrived she showed us around there property which was right on the Kenai River.  Her family and 5 other families had gone in together and bought 18 acres there on the river where each family built a cabin.  After that she showed us the waders and a ton of other stuff she had found for us.  We looked at everything and decided we would take it. We ended up with 3 pairs of kids chest waders, an adult pair of hip waders, 5 kids jackets, 2 adult jackets, a kids rain suit, a kids life jacket and a whole bag full of fresh salmon from the Kenai river.  We continued to talk for a while as she was very nice and we enjoyed chatting with her.  She told us about a public access site there close to her home where we could take the boys fishing.  She also told us about a possible job opportunity and she suggested a church in town that we should check out.  After our visit we headed back to the cabin as by now it was too late to hit the water.  The kids were a little disappointed as they were looking forward to fishing but we promised them we would take them the next day.  On our way back we saw a young mail moose just of the road from the cabin.  We stopped and let the kids look and we took a few pictures.  When we got back to the cabin we began working on supper with the Gilberts.  We ended up with fresh grilled steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, macaroni & cheese and rolls which made for a great supper!

After supper Jimmy and I spent several hours preparing the fishing rods and getting things together and ready for the big fishing day the next day.  We finally finished up around 1:30.  So here I sit, waiting to get up in the morning and head out on the water in search of our very first Salmon on our very first fishing adventure in AK!  Hopefully it will be a good trip!  Below are a few pics of the moose.

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Soldotna%20%20August%209%202011/

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Getting Settled…

Date: 08/09/11
Day: 19
Weather: 65 and Cloudy

Well today we slept in to recover from our "Across AK" whirlwind tour.  We awoke around 11:30am and began working around the camper and the cabin.  We spent most of our time getting stuff out of the camper that we needed in the cabin and working on fixing little things on the camper.  We also got out and saw little bit of town and opened our PO Box here in town so we could begin receiving mail. While we were there we started speaking with an older lady that came in and found out that she had went to college at Maryville Collect, Played int he Knoxville Symphony and taught at Oak Ridge Hight School 10-15 years ago.  She moved up about 12 years ago and has lived here ever since.  She welcomed us to the AK and said she though we would love it there.  Outside of that, it we a slow day as we were just trying to recuperate.

God Bless & Safe Travels.

The Moores

Praise the Lord… We Have Finally Arrived!

Day #18

Date: 08/07/11

Traveled: Glennallen, AK - SOLDOTNA, AK

Interstates: 

Miles Driven: 300

Hours on Road: 6.5

Weather: Rain early changing to partly cloudy (60 degrees)

Well today we awoke at 6:15am tired but ready and willing to spend as much time as needed to make it our final destination, SOLDOTNA, AK!  An hour into our trip, we stopped at the Eureka Lodge & Restaurant to have breakfast.  Once again, this was a place that had a spectacular view of the snow covered mountains.  We enjoyed breakfast and then continued on our way, winding once again through large mountains where we saw a couple of different glaciers, numerous lakes, rivers and several other incredible sites.  

After a couple of hours of winding through the mountains along flowing rivers, we arrived in Palmer, where it was raining.  Within another hour we had made it to Anchorage, where we were able to drive along the bay for about 3-45 minutes, stopping to take pictures and shoot videos, before the road headed back into the mountains as we continued on toward Soldota.  

On our way we crossed several lakes and rivers, including the Russian and Kenai rivers and within 3 hours or so, we had arrived in Soldotna.  As we were coming through town, I received a text from our friends, the Gilberts, whose cabin we will be staying in for a while and whose camper we pulled and used on our trip.  It said, "slow down, you just passed us".  I pulled over at a gas station to fill-up and they caught up to us there.  There was a lot of emotion in the next few minutes as everything finally became very real for all of us… excited, tired, happy, blessed and truly unbelievable are a few thoughts, emotions and or feelings that could help describe how we felt, as we chatted in the parking lot.  From there we headed out for the cabin.  We worked for about 30-45 minutes until we were finally able to get the camper up the driveway and parked where it needed to be. 

And so, there we were, tired and exhausted but running off of pure adrenaline from the realization that we had finally made it!  A journey that had started out in our hearts and our heads almost 2 years prior… a journey that some thought was foolish or possibly even selfish… a journey, that in all honestly, at times we thought would never happen, had finally come to fruition after a 5000+ mile drive across 2 countries covering 13 states & provinces with our family, a truck, a camper and everything we owned.   

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Glennallen%20AK%20to%20SOLDOTNA%20AK/

Videos:

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

The Day that Would Never End…

Day #17

Date: 08/06/11

Traveled: Whitehorse, YT - Glennallen, AK

Interstates: 

Miles Driven: 600

Hours on Road: 16

Weather: Rain early with clearing skies later in the evening (65 degrees)

This morning we awoke early to leave Whitehorse and to try and make it across the border to Tok, AK.  We knew it was going to be a long day but the scenery more than made up for it.  Again, more and more spectacular mountain views.  Once we reached Destruction Bay, we saw quiet possibly the most beautiful lake that any of us have ever seen.  This lake was called Klaune Lake, which was over 121 nautical miles long and set at the base of 2 mountain ranges, one on each side.  With the rain clearing, the raining clouds sat low on the mountain tops making for some wonderful views and photo opportunities.  We stopped in at a lodge/restaurant there in Destruction Bay to have lunch and to was able to enjoy a nice view of the lake while we ate.  Once we finished lunch, we headed out on the last 150 miles or so of the remaining section of Alaskan Highway in Canada.  This particular section of road was extremely rough… so rough that we literally had to drive 25-40 mph the entire way.  After a couple of hours bouncing all over the highway, we finally made it to the  Beaver Creek, the last town in Canada before crossing the border.  We stopped here to fuel up and the let everyone get their 10th stamp in our Yukon Gold Rush books and submit our entries to win 2 ounces of gold.  

Once this was finished, we headed out for the border, which we reached in about 20 minutes.  Prior to the border was the "Welcome to Alaska" sign and the Yukon / Alaska border marker.  As you would imagine, we stopped here to take pictures as we were all extremely excited to finally be in the state we had longed to be in for the past 2 years.  There was a ton of joy and excitement as we had finally arrived.  We took numerous pictures and took a few moments to reflect and enjoy the blessing.  I was also able to stand with one foot in Canada and the other in the USA and take a picture of the marker showing the line that divided the two.  This was a pretty neat feeling.  After our stop at the sign we proceeded on a few hundred feet to the border patrol.  We approached the same as we did before and supplied the officer with our info.  He asked several questions of me and a few to the kids.  After a few minutes, we were on our way.

After crossing the border (big sigh of relief) we continued on a much nicer paved road to the top of another mountain, where we stopped at the Tetlin Visitor Center.  This was a nice large log building with a grass roof.  No kidding, the roof was made of growing grass which was mowed as needed.  From the back of the center, was an amazing view of the bogs below and the large mountain range across the way.  After a few pictures we continued on, again with more wonderful views.  Within another hour and a half to two hours we finally arrived at Tok, AK where we stopped to fill up with gas and get a bite of supper.  During supper we discussed what we should do and decided we would just continue on toward Glennallen until it got too dark or I became too tired.   Along the way we saw several moose along the sides of the road and again had some incredible mountain views.  Snow covered peaks, with low lying clouds and lakes that lined the forrest floors below them.  I continued on the Glenn Highway past dark and came to a road construction sign that indicated road work ahead for the next 25 miles.  Once again, I was reduced driving 25-35 mph for the next hour as the bumps, dips, cracks & ruts were absolutely terrible!   I continued on until finally around midnight, we made it to Glennallen, AK.  I stopped at the Alaskan Hub, a gas station / mini-mart at the intersection which lead on to Anchoargae and Soldotna.  I fueled up with the intentions of continuing on but after talking to the cashier and another customer who had just came from the direction we were heading, I decided it might be time to rest.  I asked the cashier if we could park for a while in their parking lot and he agreed.  I dropped the legs not he camper,  extended the slides and everyone made their way inside where we have all crashed after spending 16 hours on the road and covering just over 600 miles.  Tomorrow we hope to rise early once again and make it to our final destination, Soldotna, AK!  Below are the links to our pictures and videos, we hope you enjoy!

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Whitehorse%20YU%20to%20Glennallen%20AK%20USA/

Videos:

God Bless and Safe Travels!

The Moores

Some Much Needed Rest...

Day #16

Date: 08/05/11

Traveled: Whitehorse, YT

Interstates: NA

Miles Driven: NA

Hours on Road: NA

Weather: Sunny & Breezy early with Showers during the late evening. (6 degrees)

This morning was our lazy day morning as we didn't get up until almost 11:30am.  The prior 2 longs days on the road had left everyone beat and so it was time to sleep in for a change.  The morning was cool and so we turned the electric blanket on for the first time during our trip.  Once everyone got up and got ready, we headed into the town of Whitehorse for lunch, to check out the town and to see how many more stamps we could get on our Yukon Gold Passport.

For lunch we stopped at the Klondike Rib, Salomon & BBQ Restaurant which was downtown.  Cameron and I had Elk Burgers and Fries while Robin and Colvin shared a large order of Fish & Chips.  For desert we all shared a HUGE Walnut Brownie with Ice Cream and Carmel sauce.  Everyone really enjoyed lunch as it was all very good.  After lunch, we went off in search of more stamps and to look around the town. We took a walk down by the river and the railway which was nice with the mountains in the background.  We visited several nice shops, one of which we found winter boots for the entire family on sale.  As for stamps, we were able to obtain 8 more by visiting the MacBride Museum of Yukon History, Old Log Church Museum, S.S. Klondike National Historic Site, Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center, Yukon Transportation Museum & the Yukon Visitor Center.  Each location was nice but the boys really enjoyed the Beringia Center as they had a full sized Wooly Mammoth Fossil on display.

Once all of this was finished and the day was winding down, we filled up the truck and headed back to the camper for supper where we are now preparing for another long day tomorrow.  A long day but one that will hopefully see us cross the border into AK.  We can't wait to get there!  To say there will be a feeling of excitement and of relief to see the "Welcome to Alaska" sign in a bit of an understatement.  Below are a pics from our day in town.  We hope to have lots more to share over the next few days.

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Whitehorse%20YK/

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores

Signs, Signs, Everywhere a Sign...

Day #15

Date: 08/04/11

Traveled: Coal River, BC - Whitehorse, YT

Interstates: 

Miles Driven: 368

Hours on Road: 9.5

Weather: Rain early with clearing skies later in the evening (65 degrees)

This morning we awoke from our "side of the road" camping spot in Coal River, threw on our clothes, stopped to fill up our bellies and the fuel tank on the truck and hit the road around 9:30am.  Within the first 10 minutes on the road, we ran into a huge herd of 30-40 wild buffalo in the middle of the road.  Once we were able to get through, we went another mile, maybe two and there was another herd of around 25-30.  I had seen pictures of these large animals in the past but nothing can really prepare you for the actual size of one of these large animals.  After this we continued to wind through the mountains as we did the prior day.  The scenery was once again wonderful!

After about two hours we made it to Watson Lake where we stopped to see the Sign Post Forrest, where there are over 71,000 signs, to put up a few signs of our own.  We also stopped in at the Visitor Center where we obtain our "Yukon Gold Explorer's Passports.  This is a program that the Yukon Territory puts on each year.  Within the book are the approximately 30+ different historical and educational locations throughout the Yukon Territory.  The goal is to visit as many as you can and at each location they will stamp your book.  If you obtain 10 stamps, you are entered into their annual drawing for 2 ounces of gold.  If you register 20 stamps, then you are entered into a drawing for 5 ounces of gold.  We were able to get off to a good start as we were able to obtain 2 of our stamps at Watson Lake.  One at the Northern Lights Space & Science Center and another at the Yukon Visitor Center.  After about an hour of wondering around town, the forrest and finding a place for our signs, we decided to grab a bite of lunch before hitting the road again on our way to Teslin Lake.  After 3 hours of driving, we finally made it to our next stop, Teslin.  Just prior to entering the town, there was a large pull off on a hill where we stopped and had a tremendous view of the lake, the town, a large bridge and the mountains in the background.  It really was a great view!  We stopped a little further down the road in town for fuel and continued on our way to Whitehorse.  

On our way to this town we passed another large lake called Marsh Lake.  This lake too was huge and wide open.  The winds were blowing and the waves were rolling across the lake so that it looked like a small ocean.  After 2 more hours of driving we finally arrived in Whitehorse where we found the Takhini Hot Springs Campground and so here we are.  The Hot Springs pool was nice but a little different than anything back home.  The pictures and links to videos of the day are below.  We hope you enjoy!

Pics:

http://s1100.photobucket.com/albums/g414/faithtothe49th/Traveling%20from%20Coal%20River%20BC%20to%20Whitehorse%20YK/

Videos:

We plan to spend tonight and tomorrow night here in Whitehorse to get some rest as all the troops are tired from 2 very long days of traveling.  Once we leave here we plan to drive through Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek, then cross the border into AK and on to Tok to spend the night. To say we are excited about finally getting to AK is an understatement… We can't wait!

God Bless & Safe Travels!

The Moores